


back problems, purple specks, and chirp laughs

by scrambledreg



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Happy Ending, Hybrid Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Hybrid Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Mild Hurt/Comfort, No Romance, Not Canon Compliant, Older Sibling Niki | Nihachu, Piglin Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Self-Esteem Issues, Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, also they adopt ranboo, borealtwt come get ur juice, but like mostly compliant, he deserves it, help idk how tagging works, i guess maybe question mark, niki and ranboo siblings agenda, not yet tho, romance is weirdchamp, uhhhh yeah
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:40:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28675356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrambledreg/pseuds/scrambledreg
Summary: Ranboo has chronic back problems, and he doesn’t really remember when they started. To be fair, he doesn’t remember when a lot of things started, but he knows he’s had the pain since he’s known people.Ranboo is also a very fidgety person, constantly moving (in little ways, of course, as he doesn’t want to rock the boat). He doesn’t know when this started either, though he knows it gets worse when he’s stressed or scared.Ranboo is, most of all, a very quiet person, and even though it's all he remembers, Niki says he used to be louder. Used to laugh a lot more, sing a lot more. He can't remember the last time he really did either of those.or, being a hybrid sucks. Being around other hybrids sucks less.
Relationships: Niki | Nihachu & Ranboo, Ranboo & Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 51
Kudos: 633





	1. back problems

**Author's Note:**

> Consider: happy ranboo
> 
> Also this is all fictional/dsmp I am in no way trying to portray the real people and if any cc expresses their discomfort I will take this down :thumbs up:
> 
> ALSO ALSO Essempii = SMP

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ranboo joins the Essempii.

Ranboo has chronic back problems, and he doesn’t really remember when they started. To be fair, he doesn’t remember when a lot of things started, but he knows he’s had the pain since he’s known people. 

Ranboo is also a very fidgety person, constantly moving (in little ways, of course, as he doesn’t want to rock the boat). He doesn’t know when this started either, though he knows it gets worse when he’s stressed or scared. 

Ranboo is, most of all, a very quiet person, and even though it's all he remembers, Niki says he used to be louder. Used to laugh a lot more, sing a lot more. He can't remember the last time he really did either of those.

These traits have gotten worse since he joined the Essempii, though he wouldn’t realize if asked. He also wouldn’t remember that they were this bad before Hypixel too, back when it was him and Niki and aching feet and stares from the villagers he towered over. The illegal fighting worlds of Hypixel were different. There, he was always moving, dodging swords and arrows just a little too fast, always leaving behind strange purple specks that made his opponents sneeze. There, he was always standing, arms raised in victory as his name was placed on the leaderboard. There, he voice was always strong with pride, chirping and singing war cries of his people. He remembers this part, he’s written it down in every journal, and Niki shows him the letters, written in his scrawled Galactic, recounting the days of winning and adrenaline and fun. 

Back to the Essempii. 

On Ranboo’s first day, he stands comfortably. Not folded in on himself, but not so straight that Niki holds up her ruler (black and white, to remind her of him when they can’t see each other) in an act of sisterly teasing. When given the tour, he stares at everything in awe, only to teleport to Niki a few steps ahead, with purple specks that match her freckles. They laugh, speak in their mother tongue, avoid eye contact as a comfort, rather than a defense mechanism. 

Then Ranboo meets someone new. 

He can’t remember who the first to greet them was, though it doesn’t matter to him, they all reacted the same. They all raised their eyebrows at his height, gripped their weapons when he chirped, stared a little too long. Ranboo is once again met with the harsh reality that hostile hybrids aren’t treated well outside of Hypixel, and is once again envious of Niki, who’s shorter than their family and whose skin patches are easier to hide than his. 

So, in an effort to put his new friends at ease (and give himself some protection), Ranboo starts slouching again. He starts holding in his chirps, hiding them behind coughs and weird laughs. He starts fidgeting, picking at skin and nails and twiddling his fingers so he remembers to not teleport whenever someone looks at him or greets him from behind. He laughs off his always-equipped umbrella as a way to make himself look cooler, instead of the necessary protection it is. For a long time, this works. It keeps him safe, lets him make friends, makes him feel (mostly) normal. 

That is, until his book gets lost. 

_ There’s no way someone took it. **You didn’t put it there.** _

And the community house gets destroyed. 

_ He didn’t do it, right? There’s no way he could have. **Why don’t you remember?** _

And Dream calls him a traitor. 

_ He’s not a traitor, is he? Did Dream read the book? **You’re so screwed.** _

And everyone looks at him. 

**_ Stop looking stop looking stop looking stop LOOKING _ **

Thank Dragon Tommy and Techno start arguing, he was getting fidgety. Quackity keeps staring though. Maybe he should leave. He follows everyone else instead, listening to Tommy’s half-plan. Ranboo doesn’t know much about Tommy outside of his exile, doesn’t know much about the Tommy that was loud, loving, laughing, leading. But these people, his friends, are quick to listen to him, even if he’s not as self assured as he used to be, and Ranboo trusts him either way. Chests are placed, everyone putting in something. Tommy leaves, quiet, and Tubbo follows him. Everyone gathers supplies, talking about war and the past. Ranboo stands quietly in the corner, anxiously rifling through the pages of his book, staring at the smile he drew on the first page, until he hears Niki’s voice. 

“It’s all Tommy’s fault!” His ears perk up as he shuffles closer to her arguing with Fundy. She’s talking about Tommy’s griefing, the pranks he pulled, the house that burned- _Holy Egg George’s house that burnt down the house Tommy and Ranboo burnt down-_

“It wasn’t just Tommy’s fault.” The words are out of his mouth before he can stop them, quick to protect his friend even if it hurts him. Everyone stares at him. He feels his ears start to heat.

“Yeah, it was yours too.” Niki glares at him, all anger and none of the sisterly love he so desperately wished for. Why’d he even start talking? Being quiet would’ve been easier. He can feel everyone’s eyes on him, scratching and clawing at his skin, making him feel restless. Does Niki feel like this? Does she get shaky when someone looks a little too long? Or is this another thing Ranboo faces alone? **_Alone, alone, alone, trying to choose everyone and losing them all in the process_** ** _._** He hears “traitor” from someone, and Niki speaks again, “You lied about being on Tubbo’s side, you were pretending-”

“I wasn’t pretending! I never pretended to be on anyone’s side, I DON’T CARE!” He’s standing straight up now. “Okay, I don’t care about countries, you guys keep on choosing sides, you guys keep on choosing L’manburg or Dream Essempii, why don’t you choose people? Why don’t you care about people?” No one’s talking. _Why is no one talking?_ They’re all staring. They all look so small. He did his best to protect them, why do they look so scared of him now?

Niki’s talking, asking why, how could Ranboo possibly go behind Tubbo’s back and talk to Tommy and Techno. Ranboo’s explaining, trying to tell her, tell everyonethat the sides are pointless, that they won’t bring anything but pain. He gets so frustrated he chirps, sees a purple speck out of the corner of his eye, notices the way Fundy’s hand twitches for a sword, how Niki looks in fear at him, then the others. Eret speaks up, but Ranboo isn’t listening anymore. He backs away, mumbling to himself. 

“You’re still picking sides. You guys are screwed.” And with that, he’s gone. Left in a cloud of purple that no one notices, they’re all too busy arguing. Fundy sneezes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> will update at some point probably soon bc i am experiencing brainrot
> 
> my twt is @ scrambledreg btw same as here :]


	2. purple specks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ranboo joins some new people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :] Thank u for the nice words and kudos on the first chapter!!!!! I hope you enjoy this as well!!!!!!!!!

_Drip_

_Drip_

_Drip_

The obsidian ceiling cries a steady beat, keeping time to Ranboo’s frantic pacing. Not that he’d notice, his mumbling too loud to hear the noise, instinctually teleporting away from the drops themselves. L’manburg was gone, blown to bedrock. Was it his fault? Was his indecisiveness the reason his friends didn’t have a home? The reason _he_ didn’t have a home? **_You tried choosing everyone again, didn’t you? Why did you think it would turn out any better than last time? It was your fault then, your fault now._** His cheeks hurt. Why do his cheeks hurt? He touches his cheek, now his fingers are burning. **_You’re crying. Again. This is just like last time, your fault, your tears. Maybe if you-_**

“I don’t remember last time!” He yells to an empty room. “I know I’m an amnesiac! I don’t _know,_ how could I have changed anything? This isn’t my fault!” Enderchest looks up in surprise, curled in the corner with his other pets. “At least you guys are safe. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.” He crouches down, letting the cat rub against his hand in a moment of calm. Standing (as close as he can get at least, in the rush to build this place he forgot how tall he really was), he leaves the panic room, swimming to shore and wincing at the water. As he’s drying himself off, his communicator buzzes with an incoming call.

“Hello?”

“Hey Ranboo, do you need a place to stay?” It’s Phil, who broke house arrest. Who helped Techno destroy L’manburg. Who picked people over sides. Who helped him.

“Uh, yeah, actually.”

~

Ranboo pulls the cape tighter around him. It’d only been a few hours since Phil left him at the base, but he was already feeling much better, much more at home than he ever did in L’manburg. The cape is old, a tattered one Phil found in the closet, assuring Ranboo he’d get a new one soon. But this is fine, he’ll just sew up the holes once he builds himself a small place to stay. Right, building. That’s what he was doing. He starts to walk to the nearest forest, but pauses. _No one’s around, what’s the harm in one jump?_ He _teleports_ to the nearest forest, stumbling face first into a tree. _Okay, a little rusty. Maybe don’t jump so far when you haven’t done it in weeks._ He swings his axe, hacking the tree down quickly and putting a sapling in its place. _Time for a second try_ . He jumps to the next tree, much less disoriented. He chops it down, and tries again. And again. And again. Eventually, there’s enough purple in the air that it looks like it’s snowing. Ranboo looks around, smiling to himself. He hadn’t jumped this much, or this well, in a long time. _If only Niki could see it,_ he thinks to himself. He jumps back to the base.

Slowly and surely, his place comes together. It’s not much, just a fenced off area with a roof, but it’s enough, and it’d be easy to take down if Techno doesn’t want him there. He hadn’t actually seen Techno since the explosions started, and Phil hadn’t said whether or not he was actually okay with Ranboo staying with them. Well, near them. He could always prove himself worthy as the dog keeper, especially since he’s living right next to where their kennel will be. Yeah. He’ll show them he’s worth keeping around. In the meantime, he should probably eat something. He opened his chests, but there wasn’t much in the way of food. _They wouldn’t mind some missing food, right?_ He thought, looking nervously at the base that seemed so big despite the distance. _Just one stack of steak, you can pay them back!_ Just one stack, until he could make a farm of his own. Ranboo nods to himself, then jumps to the small porch. He opens the door softly, avoiding eye contact with Edward. He climbs down the ladder, grabs a stack of steak, and turns around, wanting to leave as quickly as possible.

“Hullo.” Ranboo jumps outside. He hears a sneeze from inside. Well, sort of a sneeze, more like a snort? He pulls the door open, revealing a sneezing Technoblade, still so intimidating, but much shorter than Ranboo expected. Had he never stood this close before? He stutters out an apology, stopping when Techno raises a hand. “Don’t worry about it kid, I shouldn’t have snuck up on you. Come inside, don’t want any mobs coming in.” Ranboo obliges, folding to fit inside the door. He sees Techno eyeing him before writing something down in his notebook.

“I was just grabbing some food, but I can put it back if you want, and I built a small place where Phil said the dogs would be oh yeah Phil said I could stay with you guys I’ll leave if you want but I can take care of the dogs-” Ranboo feels Techno grab him by the shoulders and shake him. He looks at him, but can only make eye contact for a second before looking away. Techno sighs, but not out of frustration, lets go of the boy’s shoulders, and turns around, letting Ranboo relax.

“Ranboo, I told Phil to ask if you need a place to stay. I’d have you stay in the house, but there’s not a lot of space, and I already have one enderman roommate.” Ranboo chuckles at this, and Techno smiles softly. “You’re welcome to take what you need, you don’t have to worry about paying it back or whatever.”

“Thank you, Techno.”

~

Ranboo wakes up slowly, comfortably. He sits up, pulling the raggedy cape up around his shoulders. It’s a little windy, the air running fingers through his hair and reminding him he should build some walls for his house, since Techno said he can stay as long as he wants. He stands, stretches, reaching to touch the solid wood ceiling protecting him from the snow. A small bundle sits on the crafting table, catching his eye. It’s pieces of cloth, with a small, messily written note on it. 

**Figured you’ll need some warmer clothes if you’re staying here.**

**-TB (PS- build some walls. You’re living next to the kennel, not in it.)**

Picking up the pile, Ranboo sees it’s a new outfit. Some pants, durable enough to bear the wind, a wool sweater, and a cape. He tugs the clothes on, welcoming the warmth they bring, and holds the cape out. It looks just like Techno and Phil’s, lined with fur and with gold chains for holding it closed, but his is purple, almost the exact shade of the dust that appears when he teleports. He smiles so hard his cheeks get sore, and quickly fastens it around himself. Turning, he jumps to, inside Techno’s base, startling the man brewing potions. Before he can say anything, Ranboo envelopes him in a hug, a quick ‘thank you’ before leaving again, leaving a sneezing, but smiling, Techno behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU FOR READING MWAHHHH last chapter should be somewhat soon as well!!
> 
> Twitter is @ scrambledreg (same as here) if u have other thoughts or w/e!!!


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